ir 



12 



A UDUBON 



liii" 



ili'lill 



taken from any one once the possessor of such valuable means." 

 1 "lerefore, notwithstanding all my mother's entreaties and her 

 teai.. off to a school I was sent. Excepting only, perhaps, mili- 

 tary s< hools, none were good in France at this period ; the thun- 

 ders < f the Revolution still roared over the land, the Revolutionists 

 covered the earth with the blood of man, woman, and child. But 

 let me forever drop the curtain over the frightful aspect of this 

 dire picture. To think of these dreadful days is too terrible, and 

 would be too horrible and painful for me to relate to you, my 

 dear sons. 



The school I went to was none of the best ; my private teachers 

 were the only means through which I acquired the least benefit. 

 My father, who had been for so long a seaman, and who was then 

 in the French navy, wished me to follow in his steps, or else to 

 become an engineer. For this reason I studied drawing, geog- 

 raphy, mathematics, fencing, etc., as well as music, for which I 

 had considerable talent. I had a good fencing-master, and a 

 first-rate teacher of the violin ; mathematics was hard, dull work, 

 I thought ; geography pleased me more. For my other studies, 

 as well as for dancing, I was quite enthusiastic ; and I well recol- 

 lect how anxious I was then to become the commander of a corps 

 of dragoons. 



My father being mostly absent on duty, my mother suffered me 

 to do much as I pleased ; it was therefore not to be wondered at 

 that, instead of applying closely to my studies, I preferred asso- 

 ciating with boys of my own age and disposition, who were more 

 fond of going in search of birds' nests, fishing, or shooting, than 

 of better studies. Thus almost every day, instead of going to 

 school when I ought to have gone, I usually made for the fields, 

 where I spent the day ; my little basket went with me, filled with 

 good eatables, and when I returned home, during either winter or 

 summer, it was replenished with what I called curiosities, such as 

 birds' nests, birds' eggs, curious lichens, flowers of all sorts, and 

 even pebbles gathered along the shore of some rivulet. 



The first time my father returned from sea after this my room 

 exhibited quite a show, and on entering it he was so pleased to 

 see my various collections that he complimented me on my taste 



for such t 

 I, like a c 

 word. D 

 her playin 

 he preseni 

 on my vio 

 it was strii 

 any drawi 

 My good f 

 a tune lefl 

 father and 

 were fasten 

 tilion was 

 pocket, an 

 thoughts. 



After son 

 My father h 

 hibited in h 

 we alighted 

 stopped his 

 his hat and 

 syllable reac 

 The hous 

 to go on as 

 by his side, 

 beloved boy 

 may be able 

 have ample 

 ployed with 

 and as I mus 

 the fine ship: 

 pany me." 

 sented to ev 

 less, I saw m 

 prisoner-of-w 

 My best ar 

 or Vice-Adm 



